Designer Baby
No, the Washington Post isn't reporting a reality-based twist on The Devil Wears Prada. The Armani in question is not the Italian designer -- who is NOT rumored to have a tail -- but his simian namesake, a capuchin monkey accused of being an illegal resident of Rockville, Maryland.
The monkey's owner, Elyse Gazewitz, claims that she purchased him before a state law forbidding ownership of certain wild animals took effect last year.
Could her choice of name for little Armani raise a different kind of legal objection, however? As trademarks comprise an ever-increasing part of our cultural vocabulary, naming pets and even children after brands has become a common practice. Could this trend constitute a violation of trademark law?
Happily for all the poodles named Chanel and pugs named Bentley, trademark infringement (including dilution of a famous mark) can occur only if the name is used in commerce. So unless Ms. Gazewitz intends to become an organ grinder and thus in need of a traditional capuchin monkey to solicit donation from passers-by, Armani's name -- if not his residence -- is probably safe from legal threat.
Then again, Armani's legal defense looks to be fairly expensive...
